Android Phone Compatibility

Google wants to smooth out a number of different parts of the Android experience that right now are pretty fragmented.

The company recently pushed out the latest version of the Android compatibility definition document, which outlines the rules Android manufacturers are supposed to play by. It reveals a lot about the many different ways Google is going to nudge everyone who makes hardware to play by the same set of rules.

This Android document gives a lot of clues to the future of Android. It reveals that Google is making a number of steps to try and rein in an ecosystem that can sometimes go rogue given how different manufacturers fiddle with Android.

USB-C was supposed to usher in an era of easy and compatible charging. Instead it’s been kind of a mess, particularly with fast charging. To fix this, it’s now “strongly recommended” that device makers don’t push proprietary standards, such as Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. Additionally, the document says that eventually Android may require interoperability with standard chargers. Notice served that Google wants to push a future of better charging compatibility.